A Chinese woman recently celebrated her 124th Birthday, according to local civic documentation.
Crediting her longevity to a “love of lard” and an optimistic personality, her big day was celebrated on January 1st in her home of Nanchong city amid a horde of relatives.
Whether or not Qiu Chaishi really was born in 1901, she can recount her childhood growing up during the Qing Dynasty, the last royal dynasty in Chinese history which began in 1644 and ended in 1911.
Her family says she is still witty and articulate, despite losing a bit of eyesight after she turned 100. Chaishi currently enjoys the company of family members 5 generations from herself, living with her 60-year-old granddaughter Taohua.
In her youth, she was famed for her sharp accounting skills and physical strength that allowed her to work the plow and stack stones. Even as a ‘dodecagenarian,’ she can walk up and down stairs, light fires, feed geese, and cook.
Speaking with South China Morning Post, her relatives explain how Chaishi has always kept a disciplined routine: eating three meals a day, walking after each one, and going to sleep at 8 p.m.
Her favorite meal is pumpkin porridge with a spoon of lard on top, though on the doctor’s orders, she’s apparently cut back on the lard.
By age 40 she had 4 children, but her husband died suddenly and she was left to raise the kids alone. At 70, her son died of an illness and her daughter remarried, leaving a granddaughter whom Chaishi raised herself. Later, her granddaughter’s husband also died, and the two resigned the company of men to live together in a rural house in Nanchong, Sichuan Province.
“My siblings, husband, and son passed away long ago. The King of Hell must have forgotten about me!” Chaishi joked.
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“After every misfortune, she stays quiet for a while, then bounces back with laughter and positivity,” said Taohua.
The occasion of her 124th Birthday was published on the news arm of the massive Chinese conglomerate Tencent, and readers were inspired and moved by Chaishi’s story.
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“She has witnessed China’s incredible history over a century. What a legendary life journey!” said one.
China’s average life expectancy recently rose over 78 years for the first time in its history. According to national statistics quoted by SCMP, Nanchong in the subtropical south has the highest number of centenarians in any Chinese province.
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